Stories · Even the Greats
Scott Hoch's Two-Footer: Pick a Line, Then Trust It
By The First 9 Team ·
In the rain and fading light of the 1989 Masters, Scott Hoch stood about two feet from a green jacket. He looked at the putt from every side. Then it missed, and Nick Faldo won on the next hole. Hoch's own words afterward are the kindest part of the story, and the most useful for your first nine.
The moment
Faldo had charged with a final-round 65 in steady rain. Hoch shot 69, and they finished tied at 5 under. In regulation, Hoch had already missed a short par putt on the 17th that would have won it outright.
The sudden-death playoff started at the 10th. Faldo made bogey. Hoch had about two feet for par to win the Masters. With daylight running out, he walked around it, studying it. "I didn't want to miss an angle," he said later.
The putt missed. He tapped in the next one for bogey, and they moved to the 11th, where Faldo holed a putt of about 25 feet for birdie in near darkness to win his first Masters.
Afterward, Hoch didn't hang his head. "I'm proud of myself. I have nothing to be ashamed of. I played well this week."
Your first-nine lesson: decide, then roll it
Short putts feel harder the longer you look at them. Pros feel that too.
- Pick your line in one look. Stand behind the ball, choose the spot it starts on, and walk in. A second and third look rarely adds anything except worry. Our putting basics guide shows a simple setup.
- Use your alignment stick at the practice green. Lay it down pointing at the hole and roll a few two-footers along it. You'll learn what straight looks like, so you can trust it on the course.
- Same pace every time. Your routine can be short: look, step in, roll. Rushing and stalling both add nerves. Our first-tee nerves guide has calm-down ideas that work on the green, too.
- Say what Hoch said. After a missed short one, tell yourself what you did well that day. The next putt is all that matters.
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Sources
- Los Angeles Times, "The Masters: Faldo Has Putt to Short Circuit Hoch in Playoff," Apr 10, 1989
- Los Angeles Times, "The Masters: As Hoch Misses in Clutch, Faldo Has Final Touch," Apr 10, 1989
- New York Times, "Faldo Wins Masters in Playoff," Apr 10, 1989
- UPI Archives, "Faldo wins Masters in sudden death," Apr 9, 1989
Facts are taken from the official and news sources above. Players are named with respect; no player photos or video are used on this page.